Slow Cooker Short Ribs Recipe (2024)

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My Slow Cooker Short Ribs Recipe will quickly become a favorite for your family dinner! They are melt-in-your-mouth, tender, and so flavorful, cooked low and slow in a rich red wine sauce with carrots and onions. Only 15 minutes of prep and they're keto-friendly, too!

Beef Ribs Recipe

Slow-cooked beef is so delicious and tender! By far, these are the most delicious beef short ribs we have ever made. They take just 15 minutes of prep and completely hands-off cook time with just two pots to clean. It doesn't get any better than that!

One of the best things about this crockpot beef short ribs recipe is that you have very little to clean up after! The ingredients are very simple, but the combination of flavors is incredible. Everything is intensified by cooking in red wine and beef broth for a truly delicious slow cooker dinner!

This came out so great! This was full of delicious flavor floating on a cloud of mash potatoes! Oh my!!!😋

Ann on Pinterest

What are Short Ribs

Short ribs are a cut of beef from the front section of the backbone area. They generally have beautiful marbling, making them a perfect choice for braising. There are two primary cuts of ribs: flanken and English-style.

• Flanken short ribs: The bones are cut into short 1-2" lengths. Sometimes, cross-sections of ribs will be left in a strip. Or, they are sold in separate pieces, as in this recipe.
• English-style short ribs: These ribs have larger pieces of bone left in, and the meat is cut parallel to the bone.

Slow Cooker Short Rib Recipe Ingredients

• beef chuck short ribs
• salt and pepper to taste
• onion
• celery
• carrots
• vegetable oilor other flavorless oil, divided
• garliccrushed (or minced garlic)
• red wine
• balsamic vinegar
• tomato paste
• beef broth
• dried rosemary
• bay leaves

You can also try my Short Rib Marinade!

How to Cook Slow Cooker Short Ribs

1. Pat beef chuck short ribsdry, then sprinkle them all over withsaltandpepper. Coat them well with seasoning to intensify the flavor.
2. Finely chop onion, celery, and carrots.
3. Warm vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides in two batches –don’t overcrowd the skillet. Sear just until you have a nice mahogany crust on all sides.
4. After browning, add the short ribs to the slow cooker in one layer with the bones facing up.
5. Add the dicedonion,celery, andcarrotsto the skillet with the remaining vegetable oil. Reduce the heat just slightly as needed, so the vegetables do not burn.
6. Cook for 2 minutes, then add crushedgarlicand cook for 1 minute more. Add red wineto deglaze the pan. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet –that’s flavor!
7. As the skillet starts to simmer, add in balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, beef broth, dried rosemary, and bay leaves. Allow it to come to a simmer again, then pour the mixture over the short ribs in the slow cooker.
8. Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
9. Remove the bay leaves when the ribs are done cooking and discard them.Serve and enjoy!

Slow Cooked Short Ribs Tips

1. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan when searing your ribs. They won't get a nice sear if it's crowded, so it's best to sear in batches. You want a beautifully browned crust on your ribs for the most flavor.
2. Season your beef ribs generously! A nice coating of salt and pepper means better flavor and a beautiful sear.
3. When choosing any cut of beef, look for beef that has plenty of marbling. Marbling refers to the white lines of fat running through a cut of beef. The more web-like marbling there is, the more flavorful your cut of beef will be!
4. Save the drippings in the slow cooker after removing the ribs. You can make them into a sauce or gravy! Check our instructions below for how to use the drippings for a beef sauce or gravy.

Short Rib Recipe FAQS

How to Deglaze a Pan

Deglazing a pan is a cooking technique that refers to adding a liquid to a pan to loosen up browned bits from searing. This will give you so much flavor and create a perfect sauce!

The sauce created from deglazing the pan can be used as gravy. We add the sauce to the ribs to make beef short ribs with gravy in the slow cooker. Cooking it in the pan first after searing means more flavor!

Save the drippings from your crockpot beef short ribs to make into a sauce or gravy.

Short Rib Sauce

1. Remove the crockpot beef ribs from the slow cooker, then pour the juices into a pan.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
3. Simmer until the sauce reduces, about 15 minutes.

How to Make Gravy from Short Ribs Drippings

1. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add 2 Tablespoons of flour, and quickly stir into a paste.
2. Pour the drippings from the slow cooker into the pan with the roux while stirring. Heat over medium-high heat until it thickens.

This easy beef sauce or beef gravy is perfect for serving over the ribs and any side dishes you make with it, like Creamy Mashed Potatoes.

Short Ribs Recipes

• Short Ribs on the Grill
• Dry Rub for Ribs
• Smoked Beef Short Ribs
• Korean Short Ribs
• Instant Pot Short Ribs

Try more of the best beef cuts according to your needs and budget by following my guide on the Best Cuts of Beef and our Popular Beef Dishes!

• Skillet
• Slow Cooker Crockpot
• Knife

For more slow cooker beef recipes, try my Barbacoa Tacos!

📋 Recipe